A concept drawing of the temporary surfing facility the Hosses hope to open this summer in downtown Issaquah. They hope to break ground on a permanent Highlands facility later this year. Courtesy of Trisha Hoss

CitySurf pop-up pool could open this summer on Eastside

A Sammamish couple hopes to break ground on a permanent indoor surf facility later this year.

The owners of a planned indoor surfing facility said that despite some setbacks, they are still planning on opening CitySurf.

Trisha Hoss is opening the indoor surfing pool with her husband John Hoss. The couple had planned on opening this summer, but were held up by permits. However, Trisha Hoss said they have received support from the city and are planning on opening a pop-up surfing pool this summer in downtown Issaquah.

“Right now our immediate goal is just to launch the pop-up this summer and create some excitement,” she said.

The couple has some potential locations for the 27-foot temporary pool but nothing finalized. Trisha Hoss said they’re optimistic that it will be up and running by mid-summer and operating through the end of Salmon Days. If it is popular enough, they could build a temporary enclosure, allowing it to stay open until their permanent location is completed in the Highlands in 2019.

The couple is also searching for a final corporate sponsor to fully fund construction. While Trisha Hoss said they are ready to proceed without one, a sponsorship would provide a final influx of capital to really get the business up and running.

“We could allow them premier branding of our unit and what they would provide us would be the last infusion of — to get us operating — the last infusion of cash,” she said.

The pop-up pool will use the same technology the Hosses will use in their permanent facility, which features wave technology developed by John Hoss. Once the full facility is completed, it will provide a year-round surfing experience for roughly $30 for a 30 minute run, with 16 surfers in the pool. CitySurf will simulate ocean wave patterns for surfers using everything from boogie boards to paddleboards on a 5-foot wave. Surfers will stay in place as the water moves.

The Hosses were inspired to build a wave facility after seeing one on a trip to Germany.

“We thought, ‘This is amazing,’” John Hoss said in a previous Reporter story. “We just knew gravity sports people would be into it.”

John Hoss is a former commercial pilot with experience in aeronautical engineering. He designed a patent-pending wave machine, which has been run through a variety of computer and physical models.

Trisha Hoss said once they finish their Highlands surf pool, they will begin marketing the technology.

The Hosses hope to host birthday parties, corporate events and summer camps. The Highlands facility will also include a restaurant and bar with food created by Jason Stoneburner of Stoneburner in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood who is also a surfer.

The couple hopes to break ground by the end of the year with a tentative opening date. Updates will be posted on the CitySurf Seattle Facebook page.